Cultivate'25: The Purple Tomato

Nathan Pumplin, CEO of Norfolk Healthy Produce, introduced The Purple Tomato, the product of 18 years of scientific research. Pumplin, a plant breeder turned CEO, said the key was when a British professor found two genes from snapdragon that turned on the tomato’s color lightbulb. Since that point, Pumplin and his team have used traditional plant breeding methods to develop a variety that grows well and looks great while still being tasty.

The Purple Tomato is available through two growers: Little Prince of Oregon and Riverbend Nursery. It’s also available at retail at some grocery stores in North Carolina through the Washington D.C. area.